Self managing fixed configuration raid disk in headless appliance

Abstract

A headless computer entity comprises a RAID array data storage device. The headless computer entity contains a management application, capable of configuring said RAID data storage device from a blank unformatted condition into a plurality of RAID volumes, and maintaining said RAID data storage device when in operation under error conditions, and reconfiguring said RAID data storage device under conditions of replacement of a physical data storage component of said RAID array.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a headless computer entity, said entity comprising an array of a plurality of physical data storage devices, said method comprising the steps: 
       introducing a partition structure into a first physical data storage device of said array of physical data storage devices;  
       replicating said partition structure to a second physical data storage device of said array to create a first data volume comprising said first and second physical data storage devices;  
       configuring said plurality of physical data storage devices to create a second data volume, without erasing said partition structure; and  
       controlling said replication of said first physical data storage device and said creation of said data volumes by an instruction set stored on said first physical data storage device.  
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said first physical data storage device creates a mirror image of itself as a RAID 1 volume. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       generating instructions that identify at least one bay on a back plane of said array of plurality of physical data storage devices, that signify a faulty data storage device.  
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of transferring application data from an operating system back up area on said first physical data storage device onto a logical RAID data storage volume. 
     
     
       5. A headless computer entity comprising: 
       a redundant array device comprising a plurality of physical data storage devices having a structural configuration;  
       a management module for managing the structural configuration of said array of physical data storage devices;  
       said array of a plurality of physical data storage devices being configured into at least one RAID 1 volume, wherein said management module is stored as program data in said RAID 1 volume.  
     
     
       6. The headless computer entity as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said management module is arranged to operate without human user intervention to automatically configure said redundant array of data storage devices. 
     
     
       7. The headless computer entity as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said management module is arranged to generate an instruction to identify at least one bay on a back plane of said redundant array device containing a faulty or absent data storage device. 
     
     
       8. The headless computer entity as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said array of physical data storage devices comprises a management card for receiving commands from said management module, said management card being configured to boot from a predetermined bay on a back plane of said redundant array device. 
     
     
       9. The headless computer entity as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said management module is permanently assigned to a lowest SCSI identification on a first bus of the RAID management card. 
     
     
       10. The headless computer entity of  claim 5 , wherein the management module is arranged for managing the structural configuration without managing the data of said array. 
     
     
       11. A physical data storage device for use in a headless computer entity, the physical data storage device being capable of attaching in a redundant array of data storage devices having a structure configuration, said physical data storage device comprising: 
       program data for managing the structural configuration of said redundant array of data storage devices;  
       data implementing a driver for interfacing with said redundant array of data storage devices;  
       said program data being arranged in operation to configure said redundant array of data storage devices in response to said physical data storage device being installed in said array, without deleting itself.  
     
     
       12. The physical data storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the program data are arranged for managing the structural configuration without managing the data of said array. 
     
     
       13. A method of operating a headless computer entity, said entity comprising an array of a plurality of physical data storage devices, said method comprising the steps: 
       introducing a data storage device structural configuration management program to a first physical data storage device of said array; and  
       running said structural configuration management program to create a plurality of data volumes across said plurality of physical data storage devices, without erasing said management program.  
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
       introducing a partition structure to said first physical data storage device of said array, said partition structure comprising a primary partition structure and a secondary partition structure;  
       assigning said primary partition to a first RAID volume; and  
       assigning said secondary partition structure to a second RAID volume.  
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of data volumes comprise at least 2 RAID data volumes. 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said step of creating a plurality of data volumes comprises: 
       creating a RAID 1 volume; and  
       creating a RAID 5 volume.  
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
       replicating said management program onto a second physical data storage device of said array; and  
       forming a RAID volume from said first and second physical data storage devices.  
     
     
       18. The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the step of: 
       generating an alert message data describing a type of fault concerning at least one said data storage device of said array.  
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the data storage device structural configuration is introduced without managing the data of said array.